CC BY 4.0 · Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (RBCP) – Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery 2024; 39(04): s00451801848
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1801848
Artigo Original

Application of the Deltopectoral Flap in the Reconstruction of Large Head and Neck Defects: Two Case Reports

Article in several languages: português | English
1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
,
1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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1   Serviço de Cirurgia Plástica, Hospital Federal da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
› Author Affiliations
Funding The authors declare that they received no funding for this research.

Ensaios Clínicos Não. | Clinical Trials None.

Abstract

Introduction The deltopectoral flap was first described by Aymard in 1917 for nose reconstruction but became prominent after 1965 when Bakamjian began to use it for pharyngoesophageal reconstructions.

Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of patients undergoing surgery in 2022. Among them, we selected two patients subjected to cervicofacial reconstruction with deltopectoral flap. Their assessment included age, gender, lesion etiology, defect location, number of surgical procedures performed per patient, postoperative complications, and the personal satisfaction of the subjects.

Results Patients underwent cervicofacial reconstruction after tumor resection, and both required more than a surgical time for pedicle refinement and transection. One patient had a defect in an operative wound after repositioning the remnant in the donor area leading to a hypertrophic and hypochromic scar in the surrounding region. In these two cases, the deltopectoral flap supplied thin skin, with similar texture and color to the cervicofacial region, a consistent and predictable pedicle, good defect cover, flap safety and reproductivity, a fast surgical technique, and no need for patient positioning change during the procedure.

Conclusions The deltopectoral flap remains a significant therapeutic option in reconstructing large head and bone defects despite the advent of microsurgery. It allows for efficient and reliable tissue transfer with small deformities in the donor area, allowing an acceptable aesthetic reconstruction.

Authors' contribution

JPGS-C: data analysis, interpretation, or both, statistical analysis, data collection, study conception and design, methodology, writing – original draft preparation, review and editing, visualization; AFA, JLTM, MAVB: data analysis, interpretation, or both, data collection; MJC: data analysis, interpretation, or both, final manuscript approval, writing – review and editing, supervision; RLF: data analysis, interpretation, or both, final manuscript approval, supervision.




Publication History

Received: 06 January 2024

Accepted: 16 November 2024

Article published online:
04 February 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
José Paulo Guedes Saint-Clair, Alberto Figueiredo Andrade, João Luiz Tavares Mendes, Marco Aurélio Vieira Borges, Mayra Joan Costa, Renata Lowndes Francalacci. Aplicações do retalho deltopeitoral na reconstrução de grandes defeitos da cabeça e pescoço: Relato de dois casos. Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (RBCP) – Brazilian Journal of Plastic Surgery 2024; 39: s00451801848.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1801848
 
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